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February 25
1800s *1880 - Yale University chooses not to join the American Collegiate Baseball Association because of professional players on other teams. *1881 - Third baseman Jim O'Rourke signs with the Buffalo Bisons. He boasts that the contract is for $2,000, Buffalo puts the figure at $1,300. *1882 - Providence Grays players and their opponents will be expected to parade down the streets of Providence in full uniform, accompanied by a brass band, on game days in order to encourage attendance. *1889: **The Tourists play their final game in Florence. **The National League Committee on Rules recommends that umpires be given authority to fine unruly players $10 for a first offense. 1900s-1920s *1905 - The Chicago Cubs go to Santa Monica, California for spring training, while most clubs go south or stay close to home. *1917 - The Chicago White Sox acquire first baseman Chick Gandil from the Cleveland Indians for $3,500. *1919 - Monte Irvin is born in Columbia, Alabama. Irvin will become a star in the Negro Leagues before joining the New York Giants in 1949. He will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1973. *1925 - John McGraw arrives in Florida and is installed as president of a real estate development near Bradenton called Pennant Park. With streets named for early New York Giants heroes, and lots offered for $2,500 to $5,000, McGraw hires a fleet of salesmen and heads north. New York newspapers run a series of full-page ads featuring a picture of John McGraw with the bold caption "You've followed me in baseball, now follow me in real estate." A year later, the boom will go bust, washed away by two hurricanes. McGraw will incur a loss of $100,000 after paying off close friends, players, and other investors, and will be hounded by creditors. 1930s-1940s *1933 - Tom Yawkey buys the Boston Red Sox from Robert Quinn. Just four days earlier, Yawkey had collected $7 million in inheritance. Yawkey will own the Red Sox for 44 years. *1934 - Former New York Giants manager John McGraw dies from prostate cancer in New Rochelle, New York, at age 60. McGraw led the Giants to nine National League pennants and three World Championships during a 33-year managing career. His last public appearance was in 1933 in the first All-Star Game ever as National League manager. *1946: **Back from the service, Ted Williams hits the first spring training pitch he sees for a home run. **The Chicago White Sox hand out the first media guide to beat writers. Just 17 pages long, it is the creation of Marsh Samuel, according to historian Peggy Beck. The project intrigues Bill Veeck, owner of the Cleveland Indians, who hires Samuel away from the Sox to create a guide for the Tribe. 1950-1960s *1951 - Smokey Joe Williams dies in New York City at age 62. Williams has been considered by many historians to be one of the game's greatest pitchers, even though he never played a game in major league baseball. He spent his entire 27-year career (1905-1932) pitching in the Negro Leagues, Mexico and the Caribbean, but his path to the majors was barred by the color line. During his stellar career, he defeated five Hall of Fame pitchers in exhibition competition : Grover Alexander, Chief Bender, Waite Hoyt, Walter Johnson and Rube Marquard. In 1999, after extensive research on the early years of black baseball revealed his outstanding numbers, Williams will gain Hall of Fame honors. *1957 - The U.S. Supreme Court decides 6-3 that baseball is the only professional sport exempt from antitrust laws. The issue arises when pro football seeks similar protection from the laws. *1969 - A pension plan for major league baseball is agreed on, with players to receive $5.45M per year. They also get a percentage of television revenues, a reduction in the years necessary to qualify for a pension from five to four (retroactive to 1959), and lowered minimum age for drawing a pension from 50 to 45. 1970s *1972 - The St. Louis Cardinals trade future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Rick Wise. The trade will prove to be one of the best in the history of the Philadelphia franchise, as Carlton will win an amazing 27 games for the last-place Phillies in 1972. During his career with the Phillies, Carlton will collect 241 wins and four Cy Young awards. *1973 - Players and owners come to terms on a three-year collective bargaining agreement. The new deal allows teams to open up spring training on March 1. Among the provisions of the agreement are a $15,000 minimum salary, salary arbitration, and the '10 and five' trade rule, which permits a player with 10 years in the major leagues, the last five of which are with his current team, to veto any trade involving him. *1975 - The Baltimore Orioles trade first baseman Boog Powell, one of the most popular players in franchise history, to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Dave Duncan and a minor leaguer. In 14 seasons with the Orioles, Powell hit 303 home runs, helping the club to four World Series appearances. In 1975, Powell will power 27 home runs for the Indians. 1980s-1990s *1981 - The Executive Board of the Players' Association votes unanimously to strike on May 29th if the issue of free-agent compensation remains unresolved. That deadline will be extended briefly, however, when the Players' Association's unfair labor practices complaint is heard by the National Labor Relations Board. *1987 - Commissioner Peter Ueberroth bans pitcher LaMarr Hoyt from major league baseball during the 1987 season due to multiple drug-related incidents during the past year. The penalty will be reduced to 60 days and the San Diego Padres will be ordered to reinstate him by an arbitrator. *1994 - The Veterans Committee elects Phil Rizzuto to the Hall of Fame. *1998 - Free agent pitcher Jack McDowell signs a one-year contract with the Anaheim Angels. *1999 - The Arizona Diamondbacks acquire second baseman Tony Womack from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for two players. 2000s *Frank Robinson is hired by major league baseball to handle on-field disciplinary matters. Previously, such matters were handled by the individual league offices. *2002: **Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams breaks a bone in his left leg during the morning workout. Arizona has decided not to issue a timetable the return of the 36-year-old veteran. **The 84-year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell announces this season will be his last as Detroit Tigers radio play-by-play announcer. The winner of the 1981 Ford C. Frick Award for baseball broadcasting excellence has worked for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants and Baltimore Orioles before moving to Detroit during his 62-year career behind a microphone. *2003 - Toronto Blue Jays World Series hero Joe Carter is selected to be inducted into Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on June 28. Pete Rose, collected his 4000th hit with the Montreal Expos, was one of the 46 nominees considered, but was not chosen by 75 per cent of the voters. *2005 - Kerry Konrad, a New York Yankees fan whose $2,325 bid won an ''eBay '' auction giving him the one-day naming rights to the Fleet Center Arena in Boston, wanted to call it the "Derek Jeter Center," after the Yankees shortstop and team captain. But instead, Manhattan lawyer Kerry Konrad agreed to call it the "Jimmy Fund Center," after a Boston friend and Red Sox fan donated an additional $6,275 for the children charitable effort, bringing the total amount to $8,600, symbolizing the 86 years between Red Sox World Championships. Births *1875 - Johnny Kling, catcher (d. 1947) *1919 - Monte Irvin, Hall of Fame outfielder *1921 - Andy Pafko, All-Star outfielder *1939 - Denny Lemaster, All-Star pitcher *1940 - Danny Cater, infielder/outfielder *1940 - Ron Santo, All-Star infielder *1944 - Stump Merrill, manager *1951 - César Cedeño, All-Star outfielder *1954 - Bob Brenly, All-Star catcher and manager *1956 - Ed Lynch, pitcher *1959 - Ken Dayley, pitcher *1961 - Dana Kiecker, pitcher *1963 - Paul O'Neill, All-Star outfielder *1964 - Rich Rowland, catcher *1974 - Shannon Stewart, outfielder Deaths *1934 - John McGraw, Hall of Fame manager (b. 1873) *1951 - Smokey Joe Williams, Hall of Fame Negro Leagues pitcher (b. 1886)